Assembly session today could be stormy
New Delhi, December 18
The short winter session of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, starting tomorrow, is expected to be stormy with issues like water, electricity and demolitions dominating the proceedings.
However, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit-led Congress government could be facing
flak more from her party MLAs than the opposition members.

Delhi Congress president Ram Babu Sharma holding a meeting with MPs and
the Mayor on the issue of demolition drive at the DPCC office in the Capital.
— Tribune photo by Rajeev Tyagi

Cong MPs, MLAs oppose demolitions
New Delhi, December 18
Opposing sealing of commercial establishments in residential areas and large-scale demolition of unauthorised structures in the Capital, Delhi Congress MPs and MLAs today demanded changes in the building bylaws to legalise such constructions.

Probe into fake cases racket transferred to DIU
New Delhi, December 18
A Delhi court has transferred the probe into the ‘fake cases racket’ in the Tis Hazari courts here to the specialised District Investigation Unit after the police failed to make any headway despite registering an FIR against 14 persons more than a year ago.

HC asks IIT to declare result of B Tech student
New Delhi, December 18
The Delhi High Court has asked the Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi) to declare the result of a B. Tech student which was withheld on the ground that she failed to complete 400 hours of practical training in eight weeks.

Dreaded criminal nabbed after encounter in Ghaziabad
Ghaziabad, December 18
A dreaded criminal absconding for last four years and carrying a reward of Rs 2,500 on his head was arrested by the Loni police after an encounter yesterday evening.
The police claimed to have recovered a local pistol and live cartridges.

Student alleges rape, classmate held
Noida, December 18
An MCA student has accused a class fellow of having raped her after intruding in their house in Sector 25, Noida, on the pretext of delivering a notice.
The Sector 20 police have registered a case of rape and arrested the accused Anand.

Transporters’ convention ends
New Delhi, December 18
The two-day national convention on “Road to Prosperity” that was organised by the All India Transporters Welfare Association concluded today. The function was inaugurated by Kumari Selja, Minister of State for Poverty Alleviation and Urban Employment.

Young Tanisha Aggarwal performing at the closing day function of All India Transporters’ Welfare Association on Sunday.

Trade tax tribunal opens in Noida
Noida, December 18
The demand of traders and businessmen for a trade tax tribunal in Noida has at last been accepted by the state government.
Principal Secretary Taxes, Atul Chaturvedi, formally inaugurated the Noida bench of taxation tribunal in Sector-23, Noida.

New Delhi, December 18
The short winter session of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, starting tomorrow, is expected to be stormy with issues like water, electricity and demolitions dominating the proceedings.

However, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit-led Congress government could be facing flak more from her party MLAs than the opposition members. Probably anticipating this, the state government has called a five-day session.

Criticism came from unexpected quarters when Assembly Speaker Prem Singh expressed unhappiness over the Delhi Government calling a short winter session and said more time was needed to allow every MLA to highlight problems faced by people in his constituency.

Assemblies in small states should work from 50 to 100 days in a year but the Delhi Assembly would not even have 25 sittings this year, he said.

The state Assembly had a three-day monsoon session and a 16-day Budget Session before that.

MLAs, cutting across party lines, had also criticised the government which just completed two years of the second term and seven continuous years in office for failing to give the members enough time to discuss people’s problems.

Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Jagdish Mukhi also criticised the state government for calling a short session, saying that there would not be time to discuss many ‘burning’ issues plaguing the city. ‘’We had given notices for discussing 14 such issues but permission was given only for taking up five matters — water, electricity, regularisation of unauthorised colonies, law and order and corruption in the MCD,’’ he told reporters.

However, of the other issues like liquor policy, crime against women and rise of terrorist activities in Delhi that could not be formally listed in the business of the House, sealing of commercial
establishments in residential areas would be top on its agenda for discussion.

The sixth (winter) Session of the Delhi Assembly, from December 19 to 23, would have 435 questions, five short duration discussions and three private member bills and resolutions.

The issues to be debated through short duration discussions are regularisation of unauthorised colonies; Sonia Vihar Water Treatment Plant; electronic power meters; law and order situation; and corruption in Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

The issues to be highlighted through private members bills and resolutions are: role of discoms; farmers whose lands had been acquired, and ‘jhuggis’.

The Assembly Secretariat has so far not received notice of any government Bill.

New Delhi, December 18
Opposing sealing of commercial establishments in residential areas and large-scale demolition of unauthorised structures in the Capital, Delhi Congress MPs and MLAs today demanded changes in the building bylaws to legalise such constructions.

The leaders would meet the Delhi Lt-Governor, Mr B. L. Joshi, and the Union Urban Development Minister, Mr Jaipal Reddy, to build pressure to stop the sealing/demolition drive currently on in various parts of the Capital.

While Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit could not attend the meeting as she was to meet Mr Jaipal Reddy in this connection, MPs Kapil Sibbal and Sandeep Dikshit stayed away from the meeting.

Gurgaon, December 18
Stung by the murder of a woman employee of a BPO unit by a cab driver in Banglore, the local police have swung into action to take precautionary measures here.

According to police authorities, although precautionary measures have already been taken by the department as well as some owners of the units in Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) sector in Gurgaon—the emerging hubb of BPOs—steps are on to string together more stringent measures to prevent any mishap to the employees.

The district police chief, Mr Hanif Qureshi, will meet on Monday, representatives of BPO units operating here and the agents who provide car/transportation services to them in an effort to maintain identity record of drivers as well as the vehicles used for the employees.

A large number of girls are employed in the BPO units in Gurgaon. Apart from those residing locally, many of them also come from Delhi and other parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) zone to work in the units here. With the rise in crime against women in the NCR zone of late, the police here appear to be going all-out to check such incidents.

A source said that there was a strong possibility of the police authorities getting in touch with their counterparts in Delhi and other areas falling in the NCR zone to evolve an integrated approach to prevent occurrence of crime such as that which occurred in Banglore.

The authorities appear to be touchy on the issue as the national highway courses through Gurgaon city. The highway connects to seven states of the country.

With the BPO employees working in the evening and late at night, the situation calls for an extra vigil.

Also, with construction work afoot for the expansion of the highway, the police have a job in hand to identify the possible criminals in the milling crowd of workers engaged in construction activities on the highway.

Just a few days back, a woman employee of a private firm here was targeted by a truck driver and his assistant in her own posh Sun City colony complex in the evening while she was returning home.

They first asked her to take a lift from them. When she refused, the two allegedly tried to drag her in the truck. She saved herself somehow. The police arrested the culprits after the father of the victim, supported by the RWA, reported the matter to it.

New Delhi, December 18
The Delhi High Court has advised consumers to file their complaints relating to electricity, water and telephones before the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum and then the Ombudsman, before rushing to the court with a writ petition.

While dismissing a revision petition in the case of industrialist Ram Kishan against the New Delhi Power Limited (NDPL), Chief Justice Markandeya Katju and Mr Justice Madan B. Lokur yesterday said, “In our opinion, all disputes regarding electricity bills should first go before the appropriate forum and thereafter to the Ombudsman established under the Electricity Act 2003 and only thereafter should writ petitions be entertained.’’

In a five-page order, the court said: “If this court entertains writ petitions regarding disputes relating to electricity, water, telephone bills etc, even though there is an alternative remedy provided by the statute before some forum, this court will be flooded with lakhs and lakhs of such petitions and (we) will be doing no other work except deciding such petitions.’’

There was an alternative remedy (or rather two alternative remedies) and it was well-settled that when there was an alternative remedy ordinarily a writ petition should not be entertained, the order said.

The state government had notified the constitution of a Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum on June 8, 2005, to entertain the complaints of the consumers regarding power supply.

Ram Kishan had
challenged the order of Mr Justice S. K. Kaul, saying that the direction to pay money at an exorbitant rate was arbitrary and unjust. He was running an industry without licence in North Delhi and the NDPL had charged power tariff at a higher rate. The industrialist had challenged the levy of tariff at a higher rate before the court by filing a revision petition.

In his order, Mr Justice Kaul had said the NDPL was justified in charging at a higher rate as the industry did not have a licence to operate, said NDPL counsel Sudhir Nandrajog.

When counsel L. Kumar, appearing for the petitioner, questioned the judicial procedure of the forum, the court said: “We make it clear that the forum and Ombudsman can devise their own procedures and mechanisms for adjudication of the complaints of the consumers.”

Though there were no specific provisions about the procedures to be followed by the forum and Ombudsman, these authorities must follow the rules of the natural justice, said the court.

New Delhi, December 18
A Delhi court has transferred the probe into the ‘fake cases racket’ in the Tis Hazari courts here to the specialised District Investigation Unit after the police failed to make any headway despite registering an FIR against 14 persons more than a year ago.

“Investigations cannot be conducted at a snail’s pace and should be expedited to bring out the truth. It will be desirable that these cases be dealt by the DIU”, Metropolitan Magistrate Ajay Goel, who is hearing a bunch of such complaints, said while transferring the case from the Subzi Mandi police station.

The court said, “Seeing the repercussions of the submissions and considering the gravity and nature of the offences, the indulgence of the DCP (North) is required.”

After lodging the first FIR in September 2004, the Subzi Mandi police registered two more cases in the past four months against one V. K. Diwan and 13 others in this connection even as the number of complaints are rising. So far no one has been arrested.

The complainants, tenants of Diwan and other accused in houses and shops leased out by them, allege that the accused persons prepare documents like promissory notes, rent deeds and undertakings to pay huge amount as rent arrears in their name using forged signatures and fake seals of notaries.

The tenants are then blackmailed for money, saying that if the money is not paid they would file civil and criminal cases of cheating against them using these documents.

Some of the victims, Gurdeep Singh, Sandeep Dewan, Baba Limbu and Rajesh Kumar facing trial in such alleged fictitious cases, said while Diwan is the complainant, the other accused form the same set of witnesses who depose in his favour in all the cases.

“The expeditious investigation is in the interest of justice for the complainant and a number of other litigants so that no more persons are made victim of the forged document,” the Magistrate had said earlier.

“It will also be in the interest of the accused because if they are innocent a sword in the garb of investigations should not be hanging over their head and they should not for ever remain in fear of arrest,” the court said.

The court had earlier directed the authorities in the Delhi Secretariat to compare in the Notaries Register the signatures and seals of the notaries with the forged ones allegedly used by the accused.

The counsel told the court that the “racket was thriving in the courts despite earlier complaints to Subzi Mandi Station House Officer and DCP (Anti-Forgery section) and many of the effected persons were not coming forward as they were being threatened by the accused.”

The notaries whose forged seals were used for filing cases have submitted affidavits in the court, saying “the documents were never executed before them” and that parties “never approached them for attestation.”

New Delhi, December 18
The Delhi High Court has asked the Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi) to declare the result of a B. Tech student which was withheld on the ground that she failed to complete 400 hours of practical training in eight weeks.

Setting aside a single Judge’s order upholding the IIT decision, a Division Bench of Chief Justice Markendaya Katju and Mr Justice Madan B Lokur held the candidate had successfully completed her practical training.

The Bench asked the IIT management to forthwith issue her a certificate of B. Tech. in Chemical Engineering if she had cleared other examinations.

The petitioner, Shefali Pathak, had completed 400 hours of training in just 40 days and not in eight weeks as required under IIT norms.

The stipulated period of practical training in an industry working from Monday to Saturday is 50 hours a week which in effect worked to 400 hours spread over eight weeks, the IIT had contended.

In case of industries functioning only five days a week, the candidates are advised to complete the 400-hour training in the same duration of eight weeks.

However, the petitioner had undergone practical training for 400 hours spread over 40 days in an industry which functions on all seven days a week, which the IIT did not approve.

The IIT management refused to declare her results on the ground that she did not comply with the norms and issued an order asking her to complete eight weeks of training.

Jehangir’s oeuvre on display at National Gallery of Modern Art
Ravi Bhatia
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 18
The National Gallery of Modern Art here is hosting an exhibition of paintings by the well-known painter Jehangir Sabawala from December 19 to January 19.

Curated by Ranjit Hoskote, the exhibition will be inaugurated by Dr S. Jaipal Reddy, Minister of Culture, Government of India.

A book, “The Crucible of Paintings–The Art of Jehangir Sabawala” by Ranjit Hoskote will also be released on the occasion.

Haku Shah’s paintings on show

From December 20 to 30, Art Indus is showcasing 22 select paintings of the legendary artist Haku Shah at the Shridharani Gallery here.

Even at the age of 71, Padmashri Haku Shah, paints with a deep insight into human consciousness.

According to critics, the figures in his paintings radiate serenity, calm and an otherworldly charm. His world is replete with images of cows, trees, tribals and other pastoral forms representing the huge canvas that is rural India.

Paintings
carry an aura of joy

Art Pilgrim at Crossroads Complex, DLF Phase III in Gurgaon is presenting an exhibition of paintings by Subrata Saha from December 18 to the end of the month. Subrata Saha, born in Howrah, is one of the youngest painters from the Bengal’s folk painters art.

According to critics, Subrata’s art is imbued with a self-confident realism and his creations carry an aura of joy.

‘Rising Stars’

Gallery Art Positive in Kalkaji is showcasing the works of some of the well-known painters under the title of “Rising Stars” from December 16 to January 5. Among the painters whose works are on display are Bony, Indu, Shubra Das, Sunil Kumar, Kamal Kumar Dora and Deepak Chand.

Grandeur of South Indian paintings

After a gap of nearly five decades, the grandeur of South Indian paintings will be back in North India with Chennai-based Vinnyasa Premier Art gallery organising a four-day exhibition “Mapping the South” at the Lalit Kala Akademi from December 22. This is the first time since the Madras Art Movement in the sixties that paintings and sculptors of 50 South Indian artists are being exhibited in North India.

Book on Pichhvai painting tradition

The Asian Heritage Foundation along with Mapin Publishing and the National Museum here launched a book on Pichhvai painting tradition of Rajasthan by Dr Desmond Peter Lazaro, a British artist and academician who spent over a decade as an actual craftsman in a studio in Jaipur.

The book documents the entire process of learning the craft. The significance of the various colours, positions adopted while preparing them, Alchemical changes, myths associated with the craft and its links with Hindu mythology and tantrik philosophy.

The launch of the book is being considered a major step towards identifying and addressing the problem of the fast disappearing traditional art of Pichhvai painting.

Dance puppet
performance

The well-known classical dancer Geeta Chandran and puppeteer Anurupa Roy will present “Her Voice”, a unique dance puppet collaborative performance as a part of the ongoing Lady Shri Ram College Golden Jubilee celebrations at the Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre on December 21.

Based on the well-known story from the Battle of Kurukshetra as depicted in the epic Mahabharata, Geeta, an alumna of the college and Anurupa present their conviction that war resolves nothing and the human race, particularly the women, pay a very heavy price for using war as an instrument of realpolitik.

‘Numero Uno
Rock Out’

The vibrant rock scene in Delhi got a rousing shot in the arm, as Numero Uno Jeans wear, presented the ‘Numero Uno Rock Out’ 2005. This memorable rock concert played into its second year after the successful ‘Numero Uno Rock Out’ that was held in New Delhi in December 2004.

A unique composition of four leading rock bands, one each from Mumbai and Shillong and two from Delhi, performed on stage at the Hamsadhawani open air theatre, Pragati Maidan here.

Rock & roll, blues, psychedelic, funk & heavy metal... you name it, and it was all there! Big bands, such as ‘Soulmate’, the Blues Gurus from Shillong, Delhi’s finest, the recently crowned IIT Delhi winners ‘Joint Family’, Mumbai moshmakers ‘Bhayanak Maut’ along with ‘Them Clones’ from Delhi one of the best live attractions of the Indian rock scene, got some serious live rock action going at the show. These four explosive Rock bands, jamming together on stage, was an electrifying experience and there was complete hysteria amongst over seven thousand rockers from Delhi and satellite cities.

Ghaziabad, December 18
A dreaded criminal absconding for last four years and carrying a reward of Rs 2,500 on his head was arrested by the Loni police after an encounter yesterday evening.

The police claimed to have recovered a local pistol and live cartridges.

The criminal who has been identified as Israr Tunda, son of Shabir and a resident of Eta, is wanted in about a dozen cases of murder, loots and thefts, Loni police said.

He had been absconding after the murder of a timber merchant four years ago.

SO Loni police said they had been tipped by a source that a criminal carrying a reward of Rs 2,500 on his head was to come to Pooja Colony. When the police party reached the spot, they found a man hanging around in suspicious circumstances. This man tried to flee on sighting the police, but was nabbed after an encounter by the police team.

During interrogation, he told the police that he was Israr Tunda, son of Shabir, and had been absconding after the murder of a timber merchant four years ago.

The police had later announced a reward on his head.

The police, who are trying to find out about his companions and other crimes, said Tunda had been committing small crimes in Delhi and Ghazibad Loni area during the last four years.

Noida, December 18
An MCA student has accused a class fellow of having raped her after intruding in their house in Sector 25, Noida, on the pretext of delivering a notice.

The Sector 20 police have registered a case of rape and arrested the accused Anand.

The victim has also been sent for a medical examination by the police. The accused and the victim are students of MCA final at an institute in Sector 62, Noida.

Noida SP city Smoutra Yadav has confirmed that a 24-year-old girl student had filed a case against a fellow student, accusing him of having raped her on November 30 when he barged into her house on the pretext of delivering a notice.

The accused Anand is the son of a BSIS engineer in Delhi and the family lives in Pandara Road, New Delhi.

Anand had raped her after making her lose consciousness, the complainant had alleged.

Since then, he had been threatening her and her mother that he would have them murdered, the victim has further alleged.

According to the police, the accused has accepted that he had visited the victim’s house on November 30, but had come back after a few minutes.

He has accused the girl student and her mother of having framed him in a false case. Police are investigating.

New Delhi, December 18
The two-day national convention on “Road to Prosperity” that was organised by the All India Transporters Welfare Association (AITWA) concluded today. The function was inaugurated by Kumari Selja, Minister of State for Poverty Alleviation and Urban Employment. Besides, the MPs present at the function included Mr Giridhar Gamang, Dr (Prof) Prasanna Patasani and Mr Chandershekhar Sahu.

The convention was attended by more than 500 delegates and 200 members of AITWA. According to Mr R. D. Bansal, president of AITWA, “There are a number of problems being faced by transporters like the Carriers Act, 1865, diesel price hike, truck overloading, highway robberies, industry status to the road transport sector etc,” adding, “The government should look into these problems and should initiate measures to do something for the betterment of the transporters”.

This court has started functioning from a rented building to begin with.

Mr Chaturvedi had announced as back as February 2005 about setting up a bench of trade tax tribunal in Noida and its members had also been selected. But the tribunal could not start functioning for want of a building with trade tax department.

With the setting up a trade tax tribunal in Noida, trade tax payers and advocates from Noida will not have to go to Ghaziabad for filing appeals and arguing the cases of their clients anymore.

New Delhi, December 18
The CBI has chargesheeted a DDA Junior Engineer who was caught accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000 in September this year.

The chargesheet, filed before the CBI court here, names Mehroze Khan, a Junior Engineer posted at Khel Gaon in south Delhi, as accused under section 120-B of IPC (Criminal conspiracy) and section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act (Illegal gratification taken by a public servant).

On September 12 this year, Daya Ram Tyagi had lodged a complaint with the CBI alleging that Khan and another DDA employee had asked him for a bribe for clearing bills.
Tyagi, a civil contractor with DDA, had been awarded a contract for work in the Millennium Park in south
Delhi. — TNS

New Delhi, December 18
Mr Arun Mathur has taken over as the CEO of Delhi Jal Board. An IAS Officer, Mr Mathur has earlier served as Deputy Commissioner Delhi, Commissioner Industries and Director in Prime Minister’s
Office. — TNS